Which pathogen is associated with viral CAP?

• A. Staphylococcus aureus
• B. Mycoplasma pneumoniae
• C. Influenza virus
• D. Streptococcus pneumoniae

Answer: (C)

Identifying a viral cause of community-acquired pneumonia is the key idea here. Influenza virus is a classic cause of primary viral pneumonia, which is CAP driven by a virus rather than bacteria. The other organisms listed are not viruses: Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae are bacteria commonly implicated in bacterial CAP, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an atypical bacterial pathogen. While influenza can predispose to secondary bacterial pneumonia, the primary viral pathogen responsible for viral CAP in this context is influenza virus.